It’s that time of year again, where we at FutureSox shape how our Preseason Top 30 prospects will look. In addition to our overall list, we are unveiling our personal rankings.
After the top 15, this ranking was more challenging due to the lost minor league season. With that being said, here is my personal Top 30 breakdown.
- Andrew Vaughn
- Michael Kopech
- Garrett Crochet
- Nick Madrigal
- Jared Kelley
The top five was an easy call. It was just the placement of Crochet and Madrigal that made me double take on my rough draft ranking. Initially, I leaned Madrigal at three to start. After longer thought and evaluating what each player reaching their full potential may look like, it was enough for me to bump Crochet to the third slot. The White Sox are saying they view Crochet as a starter long-term, and if that comes to fruition, I believe that the Sox have something special in the southpaw. Even if he’s a multi-inning shutdown reliever, a la Josh Hader or Andrew Miller, it’s not a bad fallback plan.
It’s no slight to Madrigal, as I expect him to be able to shore up the strange defensive and base running miscues he had in 2020 and be a valuable piece to the club moving forward. When trying to view the two objectively, I’m a believer in Crochet’s ceiling being higher than Madrigal’s.
Kelley, the White Sox second round pick in 2020, rounds out the top five with his starter profile and an above average fastball/changeup combo.
- Matthew Thompson
- Jonathan Stiever
- Andrew Dalquist
- Yoelqui Céspedes
- Norge Vera
On a similar note to the top five, it was an easy call on who would round out the top 10. I leaned towards Thompson at six, which is based on industry reviews of his work at the alternate site fall instructs. A case could definitely be made for Stiever in that position (and I’m fully prepared to look foolish in a few months), especially considering he’s the more advanced pitcher and threw in the major leagues last season (even if it was to mixed results). It wouldn’t surprise me to see Stiever leapfrog over Thompson in 2021 with a strong showing in the upper minors, but as of now, I’m more enthralled by Thompson’s upside and athleticism.
Dalquist, Céspedes and Vera (although he hasn’t officially signed yet) round out the top 10. Dalquist is someone who I’m very interested to follow in 2021. I’d like to see how his stuff’s progressed from his work at the alternate site.
- Gavin Sheets
- Luis Gonzalez
- Blake Rutherford
- Micker Adolfo
- Jimmy Lambert
Sheets vaults past the usual grouping of Sox outfielders, as he’s been working out in the outfield after the lost season. If he’s able to become a passable defender out there (which remains to be seen at this point), his lefty power bat gets a boost with adding positional flexibility to his repertoire.
Adolfo slips for me because we know what he’s about as a player: big power, good arm, but just can’t seem to stay healthy. I was tempted to place Rutherford ahead of Gonzalez. I’m a believer in what he’s done to add more strength to his offensive profile. He was elevating and hitting the ball with more authority during his time at the alternate site. However, those changes need to show up during games, so Gonzalez retains his ranking edge over Rutherford.
Lambert looked good in his brief stint with the White Sox in 2020 before an injury got in the way. I’m excited to see how the Sox will handle his workload moving forward. He does having intriguing stuff if he’s able to continue as a starting pitcher.
- Bryan Ramos
- Benyamin Bailey
- Jose Rodriguez
- Bryce Bush
- Zack Burdi
So this is the youthful portion of the list that has me very excited for this upcoming season. Ramos has been seen as a potential high riser in the system. Bailey and Rodriguez are trying to build off of their excellent 2019 seasons. Bush will be trying to rebound after a tough 2019.
I may be higher on Bailey and Rodriguez than the rest of my colleagues (even after they received some mixed reviews at instructs), but I’m buying in on their upside. A big outfielder with a great approach at the plate and power potential, and a middle infielder with some pop and a knack for hitting, respectively.
Burdi made his debut for the Sox in 2020 and flashed some of the top of the line stuff that made him a first round pick back in 2016. Remaining healthy and shoring up his command are key to future success.
- Jake Burger
- James Beard
- Kade McClure
- DJ Gladney
- Bernardo Flores
Burger finally making it back onto the field in 2020 after two serious Achilles injuries was a great moment of perseverance for the 2017 first rounder. He looked solid in the box and moved around the diamond well at the alternate site. Maybe I’m a little too low on him, but 2021 is going to be a big year for Burger to prove he’s still a serious prospect in the White Sox system.
Center fielder Beard is still raw as a player, but the Sox knew that coming in. He’s garnered some solid reviews from our very own Sean Williams, so that helped me buy into the intriguing tools he possesses.
McClure has gained steam in 2020, as the 6-foot-7 right-hander has most recently seen an uptick in velocity. Gladney has solid power potential, but needs to work on plate discipline to shore up his very high K%. Flores was another minor leaguer to make his debut for the White Sox in 2020, and should be a solid depth option for the club moving forward.
- Yolbert Sanchez
- Tyler Johnson
- Bailey Horn
- Caleb Freeman
- Chase Krogman
Sanchez, the White Sox top international signing in 2019, needs to show improved conditioning and that he has more with the bat after some rather unpleasant reviews after instructs in 2020. Johnson is on the cusp of a potential big league call up in the near future, but could use further development of his secondary offerings. Horn, the White Sox fifth round pick in 2020, is a lefty starter with solid secondaries and could find himself as the top ranked left-handed pitcher in the organization once Crochet graduates.
Freeman, a right-handed reliever, figures to move quickly throughout the minors, a la Codi Heuer. He has a fastball that touched 97 in Great Falls as well as an average to above average curve in his arsenal. Krogman, a 34th round selection out of high school back in 2019, has good bat speed in tandem with good power potential. He has a strong arm from the outfield, so he’s thought to be able to stick in right field.
Just Missed
Andrew Perez, the lefty reliever out South Florida is a guy that I’m keen on following this year. The 2018 eighth round pick put up a very solid line in 2019. He struck out 86 batters over 67.1 innings to the tune of a 11.5 K/9, a 29 K%, and a 1.74 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP.
Bennett Sousa, the 2018 10th rounder, is another lefty reliever I like. He finished 2019 with 74 strikeouts across 65 innings, with a 10.25 K/9, a 27.8 K% and a 2.49 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP.
Jefferson Mendoza, a 20-year-old catcher from Venezuela, is another guy that was hurt by the lack of minor league season. However, the 2017 international signing had a solid year with the DSL in 2019. He batted .305/.391/.484 as an 18-year-old. Hopefully we’ll see Mendoza stateside in 2021.